Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The MySpace Between Her Ears

“I need to use your computer.”

This is what was bookended with sighs and barked at me while I was trying to submit the day’s attendance by the girl in my sixth period who challenges the wording to every question she misses on one of my exams. The ones that she gets correct seem to past the mustard semantically, but the others are complete gibber-jabber. How strange.

The class should be busy at this time working on their character charts for Huck Finn. Maybe she wishes to do hers digitally, which I think is great—use today’s tools to get ready for the future. I mean the district has us do all that professional development on integrating technology, right? Unfortunately, it is an all talk and no action type of thing, so says the fact that there are no student computers in classrooms and only two computer labs in an entire school that is so overpopulated that we need portable buildings.

“Ms. Warner, my computer is unavailable to you. You may construct your chart on paper and that will be fine.”

Another sigh ushered in, “I don’t need it for that. I’ve been done with the whole thing,” which baffled me a bit because we haven’t even finished the book.

“We’ll what do you need my computer for?”

“Huff! I sent a message to this guy on my MySpace, and I need to see if he responded.”

Deciding to try this sighing disgust thing a go myself, “Why would I let you use my computer to get on MySpace?”

“’Cause you don’t allow us to have our cell phones out in class.”

“But I’m down with you commandeering my computer to check your MySpace page?”

“I don’t know.”

Ah teens, aren’t they great when they miss the big picture? To them it is about what’s in front of them (teacher doesn’t allow cell phones) and not about this being an institution of learning and the privilege of receiving an education.

Maybe I can use the same logic when I’m asked why I choked Ms. Warner.